Music is one of the most common forms of expression as well as the most influential elements of society. For many centuries, music has been a cultural and racial unifier that has brought different categories of people together.
Simply put, music is an art of sound that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms, like we can see in our world today. Music is the meeting point of genres and there are countless genres bordering around Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Jazz, Rock, Rhythm and Blues (R&B), and Rap.
Despite the changes in cultures and societies over the years, one genre of music that supersedes the rest in fame and popularity both among the old and young is Rap music. Rap music didn’t just gain a global widespread overnight but started from somewhere and evolved, do you want to know how it all started? Read through this article as you scroll down the paragraphs below to discover the evolution of rap music and some of the greatest rappers of all time.
How did Rap Music start?
Rap music was non-existent until the early 1970s in New York, the United States. Rap began as a street art, mainly by some African-American teens as a collaboration among intersecting groups of Black, Latinx, and Caribbean-American youth at block parties.
As a genre of music, Rap started at parties or clubs when DJs would isolate the percussion breaks of funk and disco songs and extend them. In the course of doing that, they would either speak over or after the songs and then carry the crowd along to get a much better reaction to the music. Within a short while, the spoken lyrics of the songs were rhymed for the rest of the songs which got the audience excited.
Initially, Rap music was tagged awkward until the release of The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” which brought Rap to the limelight.
After the first release of Rap music in 1979 proved its commercial viability it gradually became a thing among rappers.
By the early 1980s, Rapping as an art of music steadily began to evolve from focusing on story-based lyrics to artists adding personalized dynamics into the music. Rap shifted from the disco style and tilted towards the hip-hop feel.
The Present Day Rap Music
In 1986, the Rap/Hip Hop style we have today started with a new group, NWA which released Rap music using the thug style which became popular among teens. Since 1986, Rap music took the turn it has today with more changes and different sub-genres springing up from different artists.
A few years back, the “mumble rap” style took over from the previously known rap style that used to be more lyrical like a poem or every other song. The mumble rap which is now more prominent today is the type that the rapper just talks in a slow, mumbling voice over drowsy beats. Rappers now promote sex, drugs, gangster, and other awful things in the name of rapping contrary to what it was before but society is changing so does rap music.
Catalog of Popular Rappers In The Music Industry
Many famous rappers have come and gone and some are still alive and active in Rap music and are vying to be declared among the greatest rappers of all time. The list of popular rappers is endless from old school to the current trending rappers but to name a few of them in the order of highest votes according to a ranking website;
1. Eminem
Mentioned as one of the greatest rappers who has captured the hearts of millions of fans worldwide with his rhyme schemes, controversial topics, and unmatched technical skills. So far, Eminem has won 1 Oscar and 15 Grammy Awards.
2. Tupac
Tupac is one of the most influential rappers in history, his lyrics are profound and unapologetic delivery that challenged the norms at the time made him popular. He has also sold over 75 million records making him one of the best rappers.
3. JAY-Z
One of the most well-respected and successful artists in the world of hip-hop music. His style of smooth delivery and intellectual delivery has earned him 23 Grammy Awards.
4. Snoop Dogg
As one of the most recognizable voices in hip-hop music, he has been rapping since the early ’90s. Over the years, he’s sold 35 million albums, making him one of the best-selling hip-hop artists.
5. Kendrick Lamar
Famous for his thought-provoking lyrics and unmatched storytelling abilities which have kept him in the game since the late 2000s. His impressive performance has won him 13 Grammy Awards.
Conclusion
Rap music started as an art and today it has evolved into the most popular and influential music genre in the industry. Rap music has played some significant roles in influencing the music industry amidst its negative consequences. Famous rappers such as Tupac, Eminem, and JAY-Z, among others, have contributed to evolving Rap music from what it used to be then to what it is now. I do hope you learned a thing or two and enjoyed this article as much as I did.
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